Integrated fuse and wire



May 30, 1967 i A. GROBER 3,322,919

INTEGRATED FUSE AND WIRE Filed March l5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l [72 mm tor, A bra/Lam Groker,

INTEGRATED FUSE AND WIRE Filed March 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 44 Inventor", Abraham I G'rober,

A ttsys.

United States Patent Filed Mar. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 439,680 1 Claim. 01. 200-133 The present invention relates generally to the elec trical art and is more particularly concerned with the provision of a novel and improved fuse arrangement for insulated electric wires, cords, cables and the like.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of a novel and improved fuse arrangement for insulated electric wires, cords and the like wherein the fuse is integrated with the wire or cord and actually forms a part thereof.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of an integrated fuse and wire assembly wherein the fuse is covered by a casing that is molded onto the wire insulation.

A further object of this invention is the provision of i an integrated fuse and wire assembly of the character above described wherein means are provided for enabling ready access to the fuse for removal and replacability thereof.

Another object of'this invention is the provision of an integrated fuse and wire assembly that not only promotes greater safety in use, but which also automatically protects equipment, appliances and the like from damage normally caused by an oversupply of electric current thereto.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of an integrated fuse and wire assembly so constructed as to maintain the integrated fuse of minimum size, thus not unduly restricting the flexibility and maneuverability of the wire and at the same time not detracting from the appearance of the wire.

A further object of the instant invention is the provision of an integrated fuse and wire assembly of the character above described that is economically feasible to manufacture sufficiently so that in one form of the invention the assembly is of the throw-away type after the fuse has been destroyed.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the ac companying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an integrated fuse and wire assembly constructed in accordance with the instant invention, with a portion being broken away for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a slightly modified integrated fuse; 7

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a further modified form of the fuse per se; a I

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a further modified form thereof;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of still another modified form thereof;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of another type of integrated fuse, with a portion thereof being broken away for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 7 is a section taken on line 77 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective detail of a slightly modified cover member;

FIG. 9 is a perspective detail of another modified form of cover;

FIG. 10 is a perspective detail of still another modified form of cover; 7

FIG. 11 is an end view, partly in section, illustrating still a further cover modification;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of an integrated wire and fuse assembly wherein the fuse casing has a hinged cover;

FIG. 13 is an end view of the assembly shown in FIG. 12, with a portion broken away for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 14 is a side elevation view of an integrated fuse and wire assembly wherein the fuse casing has a slightly different form of hinged cover, with a portion broken away for purposes of illustration; and

FIG. 15 is an end view of the assembly shown in FIG. 14.

It has been found desirable to provide a fuse that is integrated or built-in with an electric wire or cord, whereby the wire or cord assembly per se will insure that nothing over a maximum predetermined amount of current passes therethrough. It will be understood that such an integrated fuse and wire assembly is highly advantageous for use in connection with a wide variety of electrical appliances, equipment and the like, such as, for example, transistorized television sets. Depending upon the particular use to which the wire or cord is to be applied, the desired fuse rating is predetermined, and then the proper fuse corresponding to this rating is integrated with the wire or cable, in a manner now to be described.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a wire or cable 10 comprising a pair of insulated conductors 12 and 14 which may be adhered to each other in parallel disposition, as

-is well known in the art. More specifically, the insula- 'art. I

A portion of the wire 10 is covered by a casing 16 also constructed of any suitable electrical insulating material, such as vinyl. As shown in FIG. 1, the casing 16 is of elongated cylindrical configuration, having rounded ends as at 18 and hub portions 20 at opposite ends thereof in surrounding relation to the wire 10 and its insulated conductors 12 and 14. The insulated conductor 12 extends completely and continuously through the solid casing 16 Whereas the insulated conductor 14 terminates adjacent opposite ends of the casing as at 22, the said terminal ends being bared so that a portion of the wire per se 24 is exposed at each of these terminals. The exposed terminals of wire 24 are interconnected by a fuse which may be copper wire or wire of any other suitable alloy, said wire being illustrated at 26. As will be seen, the wire 26 is wound around the adjacent conductor 12, and it will be understood that the wire 26 is specifically selected so as to achieve the desired fuse rating.

Depending upon the rating of fuse wire 26, it will readily be seen that any amount of current surpassing that rating that may be fed through wire 10 will burn out the fuse wire 26, thus automatically interrupting the flow of current through the wire 10. As hereinbefore stated, this construction is applicable to any desired voltage rating and need not necessarily be associated with plug-in types of cords as illustrated in FIG. 1. It will also be understood that in the manufacture of the integrated fuse and wire assembly illustrated in FIG. 1, the conductor 14 is first cut as at 22 and then the bared wire terminals 24 are interconnected by winding the fuse wire 26 around the adjacent conductor 12. After this has been done, the casing 16 is applied in position, and preferably the casing, which, as afore described, is of electrical insulating material and also of heat resistant material, is molded right on to the insulated covering for contuctors 12 and 14. Thus, if the insulation for the conductors 12 and 14 is vinyl, then the casing 12 may also be vinyl in order to facilitate a good integral bond between the casing 16 and the wire 10. It will be seen that in this construction when the fuse 26 becomes destroyed, such as by being subjected to an oversupply of current, the wire 10 is simply thrown away and replaced by a completely new cord and integrated fuse.

FIGS. 2 through 5 illustrate various modifications of the integrated fuse and wire assembly described supra. Thus, in FIG. 2 the construction is identical to the abovedescribed assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 with the exception of the fact that the fuse wire 28, instead of being wound around the adjacent conductor, extends in a straight path between the wire terminals 24. It will be understood that although in FIGS. 1 through 5 the wire is illustrated as comprising twin parallel conductors 12 and 14, wire comprising a single insulated conductor is equally adaptable to the instant invention, as is Wire comprising more than two conductors. Where the wire 10 comprises more than a single conductor, a plurality of fuses may be employed, and in FIG. 3 an assembly similar to that shown and described in connection with FIG. 2 is illustrated, the only difference being that both conductors terminate in the casing 16 and both have their terminal ends 24 interconnected by fuses in parallel with each other. In addition to having a plurality of fuses in parallel, as illustrated in FIG. 3, it is equally possible, if desired, to have a plurality of fuses in series in one conductor (not shown).

In FIG. 4, a fuse arrangement generally similar to that described and illustrated in connection with FIG. 1 is shown, except that both conductors 12 and 14 are provided with fuses. In this arrangement, it is desirable to elongate the casing as at 32 so that the spaces 34 between the terminal ends 24 of one conductor may be staggered with respect to the space 34 between the terminal ends of the other conductor. This enables the fuse wires 36 to be wound around the other conductor without interfer ence with each other. FIG. 5 illustrates the same general type of arrangement as that shown in FIG. 4, except that the fuses are straight wires, as at 38, rather than being wound around the adjacent conductor.

. It will be understood that in all forms of my invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the fuse is embedded in the casing which is preferable injection molded right onto the wire 10. Thus, as aforedescribed, this assembly is of the throw-away variety since, once the fuse has been burnt out, it is highly impractical to consider replacing it with another fuse. In FIGS. 6 through 15, a modified form of my invention is illustrated wherein an integrated fuse is provided in such a way that the fuse may be readily removed and replaced.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a wire shown generally at 40 comprises twin parallel conductors 42 and 44 similar to the aforedescribed wire 10. Here again, the wire 40 may be of the single conductor variety, or it may comprise more than two insulated conductors, without in any way affecting the instant invention. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a casing 46 is provided, said casing being constructed of electrical insulating material and also of material that is heat resistant, just as was true in connection with the aforedecribed casing 16. However, as will be noted, the casing 46 comprises a solid bottom portion 48 and a hollow upper portion 50 defined by the bottom 48, side Walls 52 and end walls 54. As will be seen, the conductor 44 extends completely and continuously through bottom portion 48 of casing 46, whereas conductor 42 terminates substantially flush with the inner surfaces of end walls 54, as at 56. At its terminal portions 56 inside of casing 46, the conductor 42 has bared inwardly extending wire portions 58 which engage and make electrical contact with clamp members 60. The clamp members 60, which are constructed of any suitable electrical conductive material, comprise a flat base 62 which is embedded in the solid bottom portion 48, as shown most clearly in FIG. 7, and a pair of oppositely disposed upwardly extending spring arms 64. As will be seen, the spring arms 64 extend upwardly into hollow upper portion 50 of the casing 46 and terminate well below the upper edge of side walls 52. It will be understood that each terminal end 56 of conductor 42 is associated with a clamp member 69 in an identical manner, as is clearly illustrated in FIG. 6.

In order to establish electrical continuity through conductor 42, a fuse 66 is resiliently snapped into the clamp 60 so as to extend from one clamp to the other, all in a well-known manner. The fuse 66 may be of any desired construction, and here again the use to which the Wire 40 is to be applied will determine the type and rating of the fuse employed.

In order to facilitate insertion of fuse 66 into clamp members 60, a cover 68 is provided for casing 46, said cover having an integral downwardly extending loop portion 70. The loop portion '70 is adapted to frictionally receive the fuse 66 therethrough, whereupon when cover 68 is placed in position on casing 46, the fuse 66 will automatically be carried with the cover to a position wherein the ends of the fuse will snap into the clamp members 60. A suitable handle 72 may be provided as an integral part of cover 68 in order to facilitate manipulation thereof.

The casing 46, including its cover 68, preferably is constructed of molded plastic, such as vinyl, and it will be understood that the casing is preferably molded right onto the wire 40, just as was the case in connection with the aforedescribed casing 16 and wire 10. The cover 68 is preferably a friction fit in the upper end of casing 46, and in order to limit downward movement of the cover, the end walls 54 are provided with shoulders 74 for receiving the ends of the cover.

FIGS. 8 through 10 simply illustrate a number of variations for cover 68 and, specifically, substitute means for handle 72. Thus, in FIG. 8, the cover 68 is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed side tabs 76, it being understood that complementary cutouts will be provided in the upper edges of side walls 52, whereupon the outer edges of tabs '76 may be easily grasped for lifting cover 68 upwardly from casing 46. In FIG. 9, the same arrangement is shown, except that the tabs 78 are provided at opposite ends of cover 63. It is also possible to integrally mold upwardly extending tabs 80 shown in broken lines in FIG. 9 to the cover 68 for facilitating upward removal of said cover from the casing. FIG. 10 shows still another form of handle 82 on cover 68, said handle comprising an in tegral block having undercuts 84 at opposite side edges thereof for facilitating grasping of the handle when it is desired to lift the cover.

In FIG. 11, the cover 68 is provided with an integral depending portion 86 having outwardly extending ribs 88 along its side edges, said ribs being adapted to be snapreceived by complementary grooves 90 provided along the inner surface of side walls 52 for this purpose. In this form of the invention, the cover is obviously less prone to inadvertent detachment from the casing than in the forms previously illustrated and described.

In FIGS. 12 through 15, the casing 46 is provided with a hinged cover. More specifically, in FIGS. 12 and 13 the cover 68 is hinged to one of the side walls of the casing 46 as at 92, it being understood that said cover is integrally formed with the casing whereupon the hinge 92 is actually nothing more than a conventional plastic hinge construction, wherein the integral connection between the cover and the side Wall in effect functions as a hinge. A tab 94 is provided in cover 68 opposite from hinge 92, and a slot 96 is provided in the adjacent side wall for receiving said tab, it being'understood that the tab and slot 96 enable the cover to be more easily engaged for upward pivotal movement. Here again, .cover 68 has integrally formed therewith depending loop portion 70 for receiving and carrying the fuse 66 in the manner aforedescribed. The construction shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 is actually the same as that shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 except that the cover 68 is hinged to the casing 46 at an end edge thereof, rather than at a side edge. Other than this difference, no distinction exists, and it is not thought that any further detailed description is necessary in connection with FIGS. 14 and 15.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A cable for carrying electric current from a source of electricity to an electric device in order to energize the latter, said cable comprising an insulated conductor, a casing constructed of electrical insulating material having a continuous, undivided Wall surrounding a portion of said conductor and fused thereon to form a unitary, onepiece construction, said casing comprising a solid bottom portion and a hollow upper portion, said insulated conductor extending into and being fused to opposite ends of said solid bottom portion and terminating therein adjacent said opposite ends, a pair of resilient clamp members constructed of electrical conductive material mounted in said solid bottom adjacent the opposite ends thereof and extending upwardly into said hollow upper portion, the aforesaid terminal portions of said conductor each being connected to the adjacent clamp member, and a fuse detachably mounted in said clamp members and establishing electrical continuity through said cable, said cable further comprising a second insulated conductor, said second conductor extending continuously through and being fused to said casing solid bottom portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 423,102 3/1890 Wood 200-133 1,952,279 3/1934 Peterson 200129 3,085,138 4/1963 Brown et a1 200115.5 3,116,386 12/1963 Sperzel 200-115.5 3,119,913 l/l964 Benander et a1 200131 3,180,955 4/1965 Hubbell et al. 200115.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,322,300 2/1962 France.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. H. A. LEWITTER, Assistant Examiner. 

